Preparing Your Church for Growth By The Rev d Kesh Rico Govan Canon for Fresh Expression and Ministry Innovation
Our starting point is that God wants every church to grow, he wants his lost children to be found.
Preparing Your Church for Growth Ask anyone, Do you want the church to grow? and the answer is a resounding, Yes! Ask anyone what they are willing to do to get the church to grow, and the honest answer is a resounding, Nothing! We all want our churches to grow but so often we are just not interested in doing the work that causes growth to happen. Our starting point is that God wants every church to grow, he wants his lost children to be found. Throughout the Bible God is revealed as a seeking God reaching out to his rebellious creation that he might be known by them and loved in faith and obedience. Scripture points to God s desire to seek out those who did not know him, or did not know him rightly: Abraham, Moses, Jeremiah, Hosea, and Paul are a few examples. These, and many others, God sent in mission on his behalf to win those yet untouched by his grace. We also see in Jesus Christ, who is the Living Word made flesh, this continual urgent sense of mission. From his baptism Jesus knew why he had come, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord s favour (Luke 4:18-19). When those who had experienced this good news tried to keep him from leaving, Jesus responded: I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose. (Luke 4:43). Jesus also made clear to his disciples that their lives were to be consumed by the same calling to which his life was given: Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). With his life, death and resurrection he demonstrated the love of God and trained his disciples to continue the rescue mission given to him by his Father, As the Father has sent me, so I send you. (John 20:21). So how do we fulfil this God-given mission that God has called us too? I want to invite you into a conversation and for you to bring your own knowledge to the table. You may have your own ideas that have worked in your own setting? Share them and join the conversation. The following is a simple checklist, by no means complete, with some practical ideas to help you on your journey to growth using Acts chapter 2 verse 42 as our model. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord s Supper), and to prayer. Acts 2:42 God of Mission who brings growth to your Church. Send your Holy Spirit to give Vision to our planning, Wisdom to our actions, and Power to our witness. Help our church to grow in numbers, in spiritual commitment to you, and in service to our local community, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
1. Prayer All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord s Supper), and to PRAYER. Acts 2:42 Whenever God wants to do something great in the world, he first stirs his people to pray. When God wants to touch a family, a church, a city or a nation, he begins by moving his people to pray. Prayer is always the first stage in God s plan to change the world. Prayer is pivotal and essential. Prayer is meant to line us up in his will and with his empowerment. Being faithful in prayer is the essential mechanism for reaching others with the faith. Nothing of value can accrue in you or through you without prayer. These Scriptures, Matthew 9:35-38, John 14:12-14,, Jeremiah 29:7 and Colossians 4:2-6 testify to us that we need to be praying for workers, for our community, for ourselves, for opportunities, and for those who do not know Jesus. Prayer is our key to God s door. It is our foundation to the exercising of and growth in the faith, and essential in our witnessing. It is the work of Christ through the work of the Spirit that saves. Prayer lines us up to his will and grows us in maturity and understanding. It is the power behind, in the midst of, and in front of faith. CHECKLIST: Do you have a prayer group that is praying regularly? For growth? For the ministries of the church? For the Rector and Ministry Team? For the people who live and work in your community? For mission and outreach though your church ministries?
PRACTICAL IDEAS: Pray and don t stop praying! Transformation for all churches begins with prayer. Before you begin to do anything, your number one priority needs be to start a prayer group! Not everyone will want to come but there will be those who will. Careful consideration should be given to who the leader of the prayer group is so that it doesn t turn into a gossip shop! The Daily Office is a great way to start a prayer group. Meet once a week to celebrate Morning Prayer followed by morning tea or consider Evening Prayer/Compline followed by soup and roll. Healing Services are a wonderful way to pray for your people. There is still power in anointing with oil and the laying on of hands. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5:14. Healing Services are also an opportunity to invite people in the community who are sick and shows that the church cares about them. Set up a Prayer Box at the back of the church or a Prayer Board or a Prayer Tree, low enough for children to reach. Encourage church members and/or visitors to pin prayers onto the board. Have nicely printed or photocopied prayer cards asking for their first name, what their prayer request is, and would they like someone to visit them at home? You will be surprised how many people will say Yes and by having a home visit will begin to make the journey towards church. 31 days of prayer. A prayer booklet specific to your church with set prayers for praying for your Rector, the senior staff, for the different ministries of the church, etc. (An example, which can be altered to meet the needs of each parish, is available by emailing office@allsaintsnelsonbay.org) Praying for growth. Ask the congregation, Who they would like to invite to church? Rather than a long list of people, focus on a few individuals in particular (up to 3), whom you will regularly commit yourself to praying for. Hand out post-it notes and get them to write down the names of the people they would like to invite. Place a large cross at the front of church, or a table with a lit candle in the centre. During communion, as they come forward to receive the bread and wine, ask them to stick their post-it notes to the cross or table and to offer up a prayer for that person/people. An alternate way is to gather the post-it notes in with the offering and whoever is leading the service to say a special prayer over the names. If you are social media savvy, set up a private Facebook Group or WhatsApp where church members can write prayers requests throughout the week. Pray and don t stop praying! Transformation for all churches begins with prayer.
2. Apostles Teaching All the believers devoted themselves to the APOSTLES TEACHING, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord s Supper), and to prayer. Acts 2:42 The importance of preaching is rooted in Scripture and revealed in the unfolding story of the church. Jesus described the nature of his work when in Luke 4:18 he quoted from Isaiah 61:1-3. He declared that his work was to preach good tidings to the poor, to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, to give recovery of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty those who are oppressed. Isaiah had also said of him that he would give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. First Corinthians 1:21 tells us that preaching was and still is God s idea: It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Paul told Timothy, I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: PREACH THE WORD; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. CHECKLIST: Does the message that I have prepared relate to scripture? Does the message connect with everyday life? Is the language I am using understandable? Is there some way I can improve my preaching? PRACTICAL IDEAS: People relate to stories that connect with their own story. Use a story to explain a biblical point and they will remember it better. Think of situations you may have been through? For example: When talking about Mary, the mother of Jesus, you could talk about your own experience and excitement at the news of finding out that you were having a baby or, in the case of a man, when your partner told you the news. People love stories and they help to illustrate biblical points - that s why Jesus used stories in his preaching too. Don t be afraid to be vulnerable in your preaching it makes the listeners aware that you are also dealing with the same issues in life that they are battling with. For instance, when talking about Lazarus, was there a death in your family that you had to deal with that you can share with your listeners of how you felt and how you came through it? A time when you found faith hard to deal with because of some chaos or tragedy in your life? You will be surprised how many people will open up to you about their own tragedies when you make yourself vulnerable. Be careful of over using the Greek or church language that might be un-relatable? Keep the message simple and understandable. If your listeners feel that they can t understand what you re talking about they will simply switch off. As you look over your message, ask yourself the question, Would you use those words in a conversation with a friend? Preaching is dramatic engagement, not public speaking. The business of preaching is transformation, not transmission of information. If preaching is a challenge for you, then a great way to learn is by watching famous preachers on the internet. You may not agree with their theology but you will be able to learn how they use stories and how they present the gospel in contemporary language. Mega-churches became mega-churches because of the preaching. People will travel for miles for preaching that relates to their life. It was important in the outset of the church after Pentecost and is still the most powerful tool that God has placed in our hands.
3. Sharing in Meals All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and to fellowship, and to SHARING IN MEALS (including the Lord s Supper), and to prayer. Acts 2:42 Eating together is a key component of God s people. We gather around the Lord s Table each Sunday and enjoy a feast of God s grace. The hospitality we receive around the Lord s Table is offered and continues as we share meals together throughout the week. Maybe there is something to be learned in observing the life of Jesus that often his preaching of the Kingdom is associated with simple and everyday things like a shared meal. Each of these shared meals afforded him an opportunity to enter into the lives of the people with whom he was eating. Many of the meals that Jesus is recorded as eating in the Gospels are also accompanied by times of teaching, healing, or other such miraculous work. Put simply, there is power in the time of a shared meal. Taking the time to bring a dish to share and spend a couple hours together begin to slow us down, to engage God and our neighbour. It is a place where we talk about our differences, share the ups and downs of life, build trust, create space for others, and slowly become shaped into the unique people of God. CHECKLIST: Is there a culture of eating together in your church? When was the last time you had a Parish Lunch? Does the church have any fellowship meals? Are there places where you could meet up for coffee? PRACTICAL IDEAS: Organise a Parish Lunch at least once a year to bring your congregation together. It is also a great opportunity for you, and for them to invite family and friends. It doesn t have to be elaborate, it can be a simple bring a plate to share or a simple soup and roll meal. If you have two services in the morning, why not have a breakfast meal after the first service and invite the congregation from the second service to come earlier and join in (this will help to unite both congregations). As Anglicans, we are well resourced with great cooks in our churches! If you feel comfortable, have an open house at the Rectory a simple tea/coffee and cake. (You will be surprised how many of your congregation have never been inside the rectory even though they ve been coming to church for over 50 years!) And they will appreciate that you let them in. It can also start a revolution of other people opening their homes to church members too. If you don t feel comfortable opening up the rectory home, organise to meet up at a local restaurant and eat together. Restaurants will give you a special deal if there are a good number of you attending and may even do a special menu. Have a Saturday breakfast club! A simple tea/coffee and toast/croissants/bagels with spreads and preserves. You could even invite a speaker? This is another opportunity to invite friends and family. Men s Dinners and Ladies Dinners are another great and simple way to meet up and eat together and invite others outside of the church community. There is a whole resource of speakers within the clergy and laity of the Diocese if you ask!
4. Fellowship All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and to FELLOWSHIP, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord s Supper), and to prayer. Acts 2:42 Fellowship is an important part of our faith. Coming together to support one another is an experience that allows us to learn, gain strength, and show the world exactly who God is. The early Christians clearly emphasized the importance of fellowship. Acts 2:42 notes, And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. In the early church, day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favour with all the people (Acts 2:46-47). The New Testament word for fellowship, Koinonia, expresses the idea of being together for mutual benefit. Hebrews 10:24-25 shares this idea, saying, And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. A third important reason for Christian fellowship is its impact on unbelievers. Jesus told His disciples, By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35). The love Christians have for one another can influence others toward faith in Jesus Christ. Many aspects of our spiritual lives depend on being together with other believers to encourage, teach, serve, and share life together. CHECKLIST: Who welcomes people at the church door? Are they the right person? Do you offer training? Did you welcome the newcomer? Were they made to feel wanted? (This is the first thing an outsider will notice, for good reason.) The second thing a visitor will notice is the congregations relationship to each other. Do the members enjoy one another? When church dismisses, do they hang around greeting and talking and laughing? Do any of them go to lunch together afterwards? If a young family comes to church with children are you able to provide something for the children? Do you have a bible study? Friendship ministries? Fellowship groups where people can connect with other people in the church? Have you got a strategy to follow up on visitors, to help new members connect, and notice when members start sliding in commitment? Is pastoral care a priority? When was the last time you visited a church member? Christmas and Easter are our biggest services but did you know that Mother s Day is the third most attended service? So what is your church doing to invite, attract, collect information about, and connect with these people afterwards? Do you include teenagers and young children in your church? Fellowship is an important part of our faith. Coming together to support one another is an experience that allows us to learn, gain strength, and show the world exactly who God is.
PRACTICAL IDEAS: Having a welcoming team is a great idea but people also love to meet the clergy. That doesn t mean they have to give out the books or the pew sheets; but just being around to shake hands and welcome people as they come in. It is also a great way for the clergy to introduce themselves to new people who may rush off after the service. Leave the setting up of the Holy Table to the servers (that s why we have them!) and get yourself to the front door. Most first-time visitors head for the exit. Thus it is critical that members greet them before they leave the sanctuary and invite them to coffee after the service. Food is a great ice-breaker and few people turn it down when someone invites them to join them. Ask at least one person to have the role of greeting new people who come to church. To sit with them, to tell them a little about the church, to guide them to coffee after the service, and to introduce the newcomer to key church people, i.e. Rector, other ministers, other people their age, people who may have similar interests. These visitor spotters also need to be available at the exit door after the service to make sure that people leave well too! If you already have a children s club then make sure that the leader introduces themselves to the family. If you don t have a children s club then a simple way of looking after children is by having a Kid s Bag a pillowcase filled with a book they can read, something simple (but not noisy) they can play with, colouring sheets (bible related, maybe even related to the message of the day) and colouring pencils these can be handed to the children as they come into church. Is there an area of the church that you can easily and simply transform into a children s area with soft furnishings, even just a few cushions and some soft toys. If a family has teenagers, make sure that the leader introduces themselves to the family. If your church does not have an active youth ministry, encourage teenagers to join the team of servers. If your church does not already have a fellowship group, a simple way to bring people together is coffee and cake after a mid-week service allowing you and the people to talk more about your message from either Sunday or the midweek service. If you are able (not always possible with first time visitors) write down their details, even a simple phone number. The visiting team or the Rector doesn t need to visit every visitor, but they should make a personal contact. This is best done within 24 hours. A simple text message, It was wonderful having you at church with us today. If we can help in anyway or pray for you please let me know. A phonecall is even better! Or if you don t have their details, why not invite them to something that s happening in the week? Some types of visitors would like a visit. Others may appreciate a new kind of visit such as a meet-up at a local cafe, rather than at home. Or a brunch invitation. Visiting is key to a healthy church. Are you able to set-up a pastoral visiting team to supplement the Rector s visits? Discuss with long term members of your church, Who use to come to church and no longer attends? and make it your goal to visit them. Make time in your schedule to visit at least two people in your congregation a week. You ll be surprised how quickly lapsed people return to church and how much more committed to church regular members become when they have had a visit from the clergy or from a church member. Take your home communion set and share communion with them at home it shows that you really care for them and are not just dropping in for a casual visit. Why do many churches take the week off following Christmas and Easter when you ve just had your biggest influx of visitors, especially, people in our neighbourhoods? So many churches shut down there youth and children s clubs and other ministries for Christmas break when its the most opportune moment. If your usual leaders need a break at these times organise a team of people who could do this work so that the others can take a break.
Evangelism by Personal Invitation SOME QUICK TIPS TO START YOU ON THE JOURNEY HOW TO BRING YOUR FAITH OUT INTO THE OPEN: 1. Use the Monday morning catch-up chats... So, what did you get up to on the weekend? ) 2. If they want to know more, have some Christian resources you are familiar with which you can share from and/or give away. (e.g., tracts, books, DVDs). I ve got a great book that I ve read. Have a read of it and see what you think? 3. Make time to socialise with others (meet up for coffee, invite others over, etc.) Hey, what are you doing tomorrow? Why don t we grab a coffee and catch up? 4. Introduce some of your unbelieving friends to your Christian friends. I ve got a couple of people dropping round for coffee, why don t you come on over and join us? 5. Don t leave out your usual references to God, to Jesus, to faith, to prayer, in your everyday conversation. (They might not even know you are a Christian). I ve been praying about that. I m sure God s looking after me. I ll say a prayer for you. 6. Reflect on your journey to faith and prepare how you would share it if the opportunity arises. Let me tell you how I ended up at church 7. Be bold pray daily for the people that God has put on your heart and watch carefully for opportunities to share the good news through words and actions. Would you like me to come with you to the hospital? Do you need a lift? HOW TO INVITE OTHERS TO CHURCH: 1. Ask anyone even if you expect that they will say no. You may be surprised that they might say, Yes! A good time for invitations is at Christmas and Easter and special occasions like Mother s Day. We re having a carol service at church want to come along? 2. Try to invite face-to-face it counts for so much more than an email or a text message. Offer to meet them outside the church or offer to pick them up en route. Why don t I meet you outside, 5 minutes before church starts? I ll be coming past your house I can pick you up on the way? 3. Be enthusiastic and positive about your church. Do not gossip about your church or speak negatively about it and do not water down your invite. You re probably busy? I m not sure this will really be your cup of tea, but etc. Talk your church up (but don t lie!) 4. Offer more maybe link it to lunch after a morning service or dinner after an evening service. It will give you an opportunity to talk about the service and the sermon. After church why don t we go for lunch? 5. Have a contingency plan maybe they re not ready to come to church but they may want to do something on a smaller, more personal scale, just with you or a small group? We have a mid-week group that meets on a Wednesday 6. Don t stress too much if they say no! It s not the end of the world, nor even the end of the road (there will be other opportunities). 7. Pray, pray, and pray and be wise. If people react adversely, don t keep pushing, let it go.
Conclusion As the saying goes, Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life. It is also true that tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your church s life. For many churches, the realisation that we can t go on like this demands that we think seriously about changing, to be better prepared for the future. If God is calling the church to reshape itself, where do we begin? Congregations need to transform their inner life so that their community reflects the Koinonia of the early church s congregations. They need a sense of community that transforms the lives of members in order that they may go on to transform others. They need to develop a ministry of preaching and teaching where the story of the people of God comes alive through the proclamation of the gospel and presents the age-old story afresh to new generations. They need a new understanding of how the church is called to serve the world. None of us has all the wisdom or the resources to rebuild our churches but all of us have enough to start. Heavenly Father, go with us on our journey of faith. Revive us when we grow weary, Direct us when we go astray, Inspire us when we lose heart, Reprove us when we turn back keep us travelling ever-onwards, a pilgrim people, looking to Jesus Christ who has run the race before us, and who waits to welcome us home. Amen. None of us has all the wisdom or the resources to rebuild our churches but all of us have enough to start.
PREPARED BY THE REV D KESH RICO GOVAN CANON FOR FRESH EXPRESSION AND MINISTRY INNOVATION